Author Archives: Bruce

SOQUEL 1955. This is looking east towards Watsonville on Soquel Drive. One of the many times Soquel lost its bridge. photo credit: photo courtesy Covello & Covello Historical photo collection Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com MARLENE DIETRICH SINGS IN … Continue reading →

HOLY CROSS CHURCH. 1880. That little girl in the photo is Rose Rostron the daughter of C. Aichberg the photographer who took it. This church was dedicated in 1794. It was torn down in 1885. photo credit: photo courtesy Covello … Continue reading →

HORSECAR # 1. Ed Ely at the horse car reins, May 1890. This speedy and dependable public transportation is shown here at Soquel Road and Doyle street. It ran from Ocean Street to Arana Gulch. It was owned and operated … Continue reading →

SANTA CRUZ WHARF (just being built) AND THE GHARKY RAILROAD WHARF, circa 1913. The railroad wharf was gone in 1922. As Rick Hamman says in his book on our trains, “Lumbering, lime, fruits, vegetables and tourists and fish used the … Continue reading →

SANTA CRUZ HAS JAMES DURBIN, DAVENPORT HAS LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI. (L to R in photo from Saturday June 18, 2011) Rita Bottoms, Tom Bottoms, Marcia McDougal, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Bruce McDougal, Kim Kempke (La Sirena mgr.) and Me. This was taken inside … Continue reading →

CAPITOLA “GAY 90’S CELEBRATION July 2, 1950.Great photo, you can see the Venetian Motel, The Edgewater Club, and that’s probably Carolyn Swift on the Capitola Lion’s float :-). photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: … Continue reading →

DAVENPORT’S OCEAN VIEW HOTEL. This structure was built in 1906. The photo was taken November 7, 1950. It was right there on Highway One facing the Ocean. It had 28 rooms, and it burned in a spectacular fire on March … Continue reading →

COUNTY BANK BUILDING. Re-built after the 1894 fire wiped out half of this block on Pacific Avenue. It was listed on the National Historic Place Register in 1982. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: … Continue reading →

EMILY’S BAKERY CORNER MAY 2, 1962. Mission and Laurel Streets and you can see that gas was only 31.9 !!!! There are exactly two cars in this photo and that’s even more proof that this was back in the day. … Continue reading →

KNIGHT’S OPERA HOUSE, SANTA CRUZ 1877. This magnificent structure cost $4,200 to build, and opened November 23, 1877. It was on Union Street where Center Street crosses over by the Goodwill Store and Georgiana Bruce Kirby School are now. It … Continue reading →